


Parade Surprise

by Auggusst



Series: The Soldier And The Scientist [54]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Holidays, Kidfic, Lost Child, M/M, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Endgame, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day Parade, Winter, avengering, discussion of having kids, saving a lost child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 01:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21485773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auggusst/pseuds/Auggusst
Summary: While at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Steve and Tony run into a lost child, and returning her to her mother raises an interesting discussion. Do Mr. and Mr. Stark-Rogers want kids?
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: The Soldier And The Scientist [54]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/468745
Comments: 20
Kudos: 176





	Parade Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I know it's been a while and some of you are probably chomping at the bit, but school and life have been in the way, and a writer's block is also to blame. I make no promises about future upload speeds. This series is by no means over, and I definitely plan on writing more, I just can't be sure when. 
> 
> Further note: Please don't be upset if I post something for another fandom lol. I don't control my creative mood. Whatever captures my attention is what I write about. Hope you're enjoying this series!

Once in a while something happened that made Steve fall for Tony just a little more. Sometimes it was something big, or something small, like a joke he told or his reaction to something. Sometimes it brought about a revelation, something locked within Steve’s subconscious that suddenly became clear.

This was one of those times.

It happened at a parade in Time Square. For once the parade wasn’t for them. They weren’t involved, weren’t up on a stage behind a podium and giving a speech or something. It was the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade they were at, and it was as crowded as ever. This was their first year attending, and they were simply part of the crowd. It was nice to be anonymous, just the two of them, faceless in a massive crowd. Sure a few people here and there recognized them or asked for some photos, which they obliged, but they weren’t the center of attention.

It was colder than Tony wanted it to be, and he was bundled up in a thick jacket with matching gloves and a scarf. There was a light dusting of snow earlier that morning, and though people’s tracks had more or less melted it all, the crisp winter air was a clear sign that the Holiday season was beginning, as if the massive parade in front of them wasn’t enough of an indication.

Tony was plastered to Steve’s side as they watched another massive Float crawl forward on the long street. The performers were singing and dancing and throwing candy to eager children a few rows forward.

Steve had actually been to the parade before, when he was a child. It was a lot more glamorous now, and longer and crazier, but the warm, homey feeling he got from it was still here. Watching the families around them reminded him of his mother, of the good memories he had with her. He had asked to come here in person after watching it on TV the last few years, and Tony naturally obliged, despite not caring much for crowds these days. They were together though, so it was alright. And Tony was enjoying himself well enough despite the cold. He tossed around the idea of participating in the parade one year. He was sure he could come up with a spectacular float.

When Steve nudged a cold nose against his cheek, Tony gladly leaned up and offered him a kiss, feeling light and happy next to him. They’d been married for almost two years now, and thankfully they had more good days than bad. They’d been on a particularly lovely streak lately, with only one major argument in the last four months, and both were eager to keep it going. It all still felt too good to be true, and Tony was sure it would for the rest of their lives, but he would take what he could get.

The blond noticed him shiver though, and Steve rubbed Tony’s back comfortingly. He didn’t think it was that cold, but he had the benefit of the serum. Tony always got cold easily. Steve remembered there was a coffee shop not too far away on this street; he could see it when he craned his neck above the masses. If he could get through the crowd, he could get them some hot drinks.

“I’ll find something to warm you up,” Steve offered, gently patting Tony’s shoulder.

“Oh—I’m fine. Stay and watch the parade,” the brunet replied. Steve was the one who wanted to come here in the first place; he didn’t want him to miss any of it.

“I’ll be quick, I promise.”

Tony squinted at him suspiciously but conceded, nodding slightly and watching the soldier move through the crowd, until shouting from the float in front of him caught his attention again.

The coffee shop was thankfully empty, save for a few people who the cold became too much for and sought relief. There was a small TV in the corner playing coverage of the parade outside, mostly for the workers’ sakes, as they couldn’t leave their stations. It smelled like fresh coffee and donuts, and it was warm, and the scent made Steve’s mouth water a little. The place was small and cute, and he wondered why they’d never checked it out before. But to be fair, they weren’t in this part of town often. In fact, they weren’t in NYC that often anymore to begin with. It was nice to visit though. Sometimes Steve missed the hustle and bustle when he was at the compound.

He left a big tip in the tip jar for the little place, hoping they would keep good business. A second later, as he was waiting for his order, there was some uproar outside and the jingling of bells—Santa was on his way down the street apparently. Steve cursed himself a little for his bad timing. The finale of the Parade had always been his favorite, and he was missing it now. He was sure Tony would snap a good picture or two for him though, so there was nothing to worry about. Steve settled for the on-screen footage as the barista handed him his drinks.

When he left the shop, the crowd was already starting to disperse. It had thinned just barely (not enough to walk through without occasionally bumping into someone but enough to breathe comfortably at least) and it made Steve feel a little melancholy. The magic would disappear soon. People would go home, things would carry on as normal, and the unity of the crowd would turn once more into individual concern. People tended to keep their heads down in the city; they kept to themselves. It was only at events like this when everyone truly came together. The blond was loathe to see it all end. He was glad to get back to Tony though—they still had a big day planned. 

Tony wasn’t standing where Steve left him though. The blond stood dumbfounded for a moment, wondering where he could’ve gone in such a short time. Tony wasn’t really one to wander off; neither of them were. It became habit after one too many times being separated on missions. But this was the Thanksgiving Parade, not a battle field, and there was nothing (theoretically) to worry about. Steve suppressed his panic as best as he could, and instead looked around for his husband. It was times like these where Steve was glad he was so tall—it made the search easier.

He spotted Tony a little distance away, crouching down in front of a tearful child, and the sight shocked him and intrigued him in equal parts.

The little girl seemed around five or so, and brown pigtails peeked out from her fluffy pink winter hat. Her jacket was massive, maybe the result of an overprotective mother or father, as it wasn’t _that_ cold, Steve thought. Either way she made a sweet picture, or would, if she didn’t look so distraught. Even from here Steve could see the tears marking her cheeks, the way her brows were knit and the way her gloved fingers fiddled with the hem of her coat. She was obviously lost.

Tony made a sweeter picture though. He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, listened to her intently as she blubbered out her words. There was concern on his face, and warmth in his eyes as he regarded her. It made Steve excited in a way. He loved seeing that side of Tony. He was honest with kids, open and kind. There were no quips necessary, no masks or defenses required. Tony was softer with kids, the way he was when it was just him and Steve alone, and he loved it.

Steve moved a little closer so he could hear the conversation. He didn’t quite want to interrupt it yet. There was something about the picture that made him feel happy, made his heart flutter.

“So what does your mommy look like, honey?” Tony asked the child. “Can you describe her?”

The little girl sniffled. “She has—she has yellow hair, and it’s long… Her jacket is blue and her boots are fuzzy.”

“Fuzzy, huh?” Tony replied. “Fuzzy boots sound nice. So where did you last see her?”

“Over there,” she said, pointing to a lamppost. It was one of many, decorated with a huge garland and flashing lights.

“Well how about we head over there, hmm? I’m sure she’s looking for you.”

The girl seemed to consider that for a second, and nodded, a fresh tear or two sliding down her face. “M’kay.”

Tony smiled at her softly, and held out a hand to her. There was a pause. To his surprise, she opted for wrapping her arms around his shoulders instead, obviously wanting to be carried. Tony tensed for just a moment, not really used to sudden contact like that, especially from a stranger, but he recovered quickly, and hoisted her into his arms.

“Right,” Tony sighed, adjusting his grasp so she wouldn’t slip. She settled comfortably in his arms, like she had known him all her life. “Iron Man will get you back to your mom,” Tony said reassuringly, and the little girl obviously believed it.

Steve fought the urge to grin. He’d seen Tony with kids before, usually armored at some function, entertaining the masses, putting on his hero face, but this seemed so much more personal, so intimate in a way, and it made his heart swell. He needed to help though, and didn’t stay away any longer.

“What’s this, Iron Man? A lost Avenger?” Steve greeted, approaching the two. Tony offered him a relieved smile as the little girl gasped. She recognized Steve too, which thankfully, got her to stop crying.

“That’s right, Cap,” the scientist replied, putting on a serious tone. “This mission is of top priority. Our new recruit has a family to get back to.”

Steve nodded, looking between the two. “What’s your name, soldier?” he asked the little girl.

“Becca Tawny, Captain,” she said. She puffed out her chest a little, put on her best heroic attitude. It made Steve smile.

“Alright, Becca. Don’t you worry a bit, okay? We’ll find your mom.”

“We sure will,” Tony replied, shifting her in his arms to one side. He staggered a little under the weight as he pulled out his StarkPhone, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. “We’ll find her real quick. Keep an eye out, Cap. Maybe you’ll find her quicker.”

“On it,” Steve replied, looking around the moving crowd. They were slowly dispersing, and the hum of the marching bands was receding. Steve kept an eye out as he sipped his drink, soothed by the warm liquid. He couldn’t see the woman they were looking for though, so it was up to Tony to find her.

He got a tracking hit quick enough, and took the time to explain the process to little Becca, who watched his device intently.

“Aha! See the blip? She’s not too far away. Let’s go find her, hm?” Tony said.

Becca smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”

Tony turned his attention to his husband. “Steve?”

“Lead the way,” the blond replied, fighting a grin at the picture despite himself.

The three walked down the street. There was confetti and candy covering the pavement, along with a few used hand warmers and other left-overs from a big event like the Parade, which made Steve feel a little bad. Celebrations always seemed to cause such a mess. Maybe happiness made up for it though. He had a good time, and Becca probably had a good time too, before she got lost. She seemed okay now, in Tony’s arms, looking down at his device. Steve was glad she seemed comfortable with them. It made finding her mother a lot less stressful. He’d dealt with screaming and crying children before, and this was much more preferable.

“I like your phone,” Becca said as they walked, eyes wide and curious at Tony’s device. The holographic phone _was_ a work of art. The interface was streamlined and multi-operational, much like the HUDs in Tony’s suits. Tony wasn’t much of an illustrator, but he was an artist in his own way, and Steve admired that.

“Thanks, kiddo!” Tony replied, looking around the thinning crowd. “If you study hard, you can make one even better some day.”

“I like that,” Becca said. “I wanna make things.”

“You should. Make whatever you want.”

Steve could already see the gears turning in his husband’s head. It was no secret that Tony loved to fund young inventors. He had no doubt that little Becca Tawny would be receiving some ridiculously advanced children’s engineering kit for Christmas. Another name added to their already ridiculously large holiday greeting list. Not that Steve minded at all. It was endearing, horribly so. Tony went all out on the holidays, despite claiming that he didn’t really enjoy Christmas.

Suddenly Becca was squirming in Tony’s arms, having caught sight of her mother. She almost flung herself out of his grasp in her rush to get to her.

“Woah—hey—! Okay, okay,” Tony exclaimed, fumbling with his phone as he set her down safely.

Becca ran to her mother as fast as her little legs would carry her, who embraced her, letting out a sigh of relief. She hoisted the girl into her arms.

“Oh thank god!” the woman said, laughing. “I thought I lost you! How did you—“

“I found Iron Man! And Captain America too. I knew they would help me find you, mommy,” Becca explained, gently petting her mother’s long hair. Her smile was wide, and she seemed prideful. She should be, in Steve’s opinion. She was clearly resourceful, and had stayed surprisingly calm. She seemed like a good kid.

Tony, for his part, thought the same. “The Littlest Avenger here found you, we just guided her,” he said, smiling. He felt kind of sheepish, looking at the reunited mother and child. Something about situations with kids made it difficult to accept praise.

“I can’t thank you enough,” the woman replied. “Both of you. I turned around for just a second, and suddenly she was gone. I didn’t know what to do,” she explained.

“It happens,” Steve offered. “Large crowds, a lot of noise. But now you’re together again,” he said, handing Tony his drink. Tony took it gratefully, and took a long sip. The warmth of the cup felt good on his cold hands.

“Yeah,” the mother said, adjusting Becca’s hat. She smiled at Becca.

“We’re happy to help, Mrs. Tawny,” Tony said. “You have a great little girl.”

“Angela, and thank you Mr. Stark-Rogers. Both of you.”

“Our pleasure,” Steve replied, setting a hand on Tony’s shoulder. He gave the woman a smile.

“Say goodbye, Becca! Cap and Iron Man have to go celebrate Thanksgiving now, and so do we,” Angela Tawny said to her child, her relief and joy palpable in her eyes.

“Bye!” Becca said with a little wave.

Both men returned it, and watched mother and child recede into what was left of the crowd.

After a few moments, Steve and Tony had each other’s attention again. Tony took another sip of his drink and sighed appreciatively at the taste. Steve always got his orders exactly right, and Tony was thankful for it.

The blond put an arm around his waist, pulled him close, feeling warm and happy. Steve couldn’t keep the smile off of his face, couldn’t get the exchange out of his head. It had lifted his already-lifted spirits.

“Can’t take you anywhere,” he jabbed at Tony. “You just can’t stop yourself from saving people, can you?”

“Me?” Tony replied, scoffing as Mrs. Tawny’s figure disappeared in the distance. He wormed his way out of Steve’s grasp and raised an accusatory brow at him. “What about you at the grocery store last week?”

“That was different,” Steve retorted.

“Sure it was.”

“So she just walked up to you?” the blond asked.

Tony shrugged as they started walking. “Crowd was moving, and I started hearing crying. I looked around and there she was, all by herself. I walked over to her and she recognized me. I couldn’t just leave her there alone.”

“Yeah. Still, certainly wasn’t expecting that today.”

“You can say that again.”

Steve linked hands with his husband, stopped in his tracks. There was something on his mind, something he wasn’t sure if he should bring up or not. He’d thought about it lately, and today only made his curiosity grow.

Tony turned to look at him expectantly, and the soldier knew he had to say something.

“You know… it was really sweet, seeing you with her,” Steve began.

Tony raised a brow. “Huh?”

Steve rolled his eyes good naturedly, but it was only to keep his face from heating up. He could admit that he loved seeing Tony with kids, that he liked the thought of a child of their own. He was plenty happy with just the two of them, and the rest of the team as their makeshift family, but sometimes Steve wondered what it would be like, if there was a little person in their lives, to love, to care for, to raise.

Maybe Tony didn’t want to hear something like this though, and Steve wouldn’t blame him. Not everyone liked kids or wanted them. Hell, Steve didn’t want them for a long time either, and he wasn’t 100% sure he wanted them now, but a part of him just wondered. He wasn’t sure if Tony wondered, or if he had at some point and decided against it, because it was the best option. There was never a guarantee of their safety, even these days when the world was in somewhat better shape, and maybe Tony wouldn’t even want to talk about it now, but Steve had already started to bring it up, and they had to be honest with each other, so he kept speaking.

“I…Do you ever think about having kids?” the blond asked, muscles stiff with anticipation.

Tony stiffened up in reply, and something akin to fear crossed his brown eyes. He searched Steve’s face, thought it over for a moment. “I…I mean, maybe. I guess,” he replied.

The brunet cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to gauge the right response. Maybe it was true that Tony liked kids. He never thought he would, but the fondness had snuck up on him over the years. They were smarter, somehow, more open than adults were. Kids only lied to cover their asses. They didn’t lie to hurt others. They were good, and only learned badness, from the shitty adults in their lives, but when treated as they should be, they became wonderful adults. Kids gave him hope, in a way. They made him hope that things could get better, that one day the world could be better.

He had to admit, they were pretty cute too.

So maybe he thought about kids sometimes. More importantly, apparently _Steve_ thought about them, and that was a can of worms too late to close back up.

“I…do you think about them?” Tony asked, searching his blue eyes.

Steve’s cheeks turned a little pink despite himself, like he was ashamed to admit any of this. He squeezed Tony’s hand a little. “Yeah… I do. I wonder, I guess. I don’t know.”

“It’s not… I mean, fuck… we’re really not in the best position to be thinking about this, right? I mean, with all the shit that happens to us…”

“Right,” Steve agreed, nodding his head. That was fair. They never knew what was on the horizon, never knew when something would go terribly wrong. Of course having a kid wouldn’t be the best choice.

“Right,” Tony affirmed, looking up at Steve.

But that didn’t seem like the right answer either. Steve had stuck the idea in his head now, and it wouldn’t go away for a long, long while. He would have to consult the council on this one, knew that he would be thinking it over for a long time. _Did_ he want kids?

“I mean…maybe we could make it work,” Tony shrugged, the words sounding hesitant. He felt hesitant too, a nervousness filling him that he didn’t anticipate.

The blond couldn’t deny the warmth that bloomed in his chest at the suggestion, even as his own heart jumped with anxiousness. “Yeah,” he replied, and smiled a little. “Maybe. Come here,” Steve said, taking his free hand to lift the brunet’s chin.

Tony smiled at his touch, got up on his toes so Steve could kiss him. He tasted like hot chocolate, warm and sweet and wonderfully familiar, and the kiss they shared held a tenderness that Tony could envision Steve sharing with other people, with a bright young kid or two that belonged to them. He could imagine it all: the good, the bad, and he wondered if the risks attached to the possibility were worth it. Could they be?

It was all too much to decide after just a few moments. There would be a long discussion about it, and maybe not even immediately. He doubted either of them were truly ready for the consideration. But dreams were dreams, and daydreams especially, were nice to just have, even if they never came to fruition.

Tony let his lips linger against Steve’s, and then he pressed a kiss against the blond’s cold cheek.

“Let’s leave it at ‘maybe’ for now, okay? We have a Thanksgiving party to get to,” the scientist said softly, letting his gloved fingertips caress the soldier’s skin.

Steve reached down to adjust Tony’s scarf, just one more minuscule manifestation of his affection, one more excuse to touch. They had both taken to doing so more than ever. It was instinctual at this point, and rarely came with hesitation. The rest of the team sometimes complained about it, about how sickeningly sweet it was, but they couldn’t help it. After years of violence in both of their lives, it wasn’t a difficult choice to choose hugs and kisses instead.

“Okay,” Steve replied, and it was good enough for both of them.

The two intertwined fingers once more, and headed down the street, headed home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave your thoughts in the comments! I love talking about my fics.


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